ECONOMICS
& THE ENVIRONMENT
|
Economics is an important subject for those people who are seriousely
concerned about protecting the environment. Conventional
economics, together with policies which put the growth of Gross National
product (GNP) above everything else,
are responsible for much of the damage to the environment in Britain
and abroad.
Conventional economics generally puts no value on the environment,
despite the fact that the environment is ultimately the source of all
wealth. If we damage our environment, we will damage our economy, just as
surely as we will damage our health, our quality of life and the future
for our children.
Even more surprisingly, conventional economics does not even take account
of matters of the greatest human concern. For example, Gross National
Product (GNP) excludes parents looking after their children. But
if they pay a childminder, this is included. The fact that millions
people have asthma does not reduce GNP. Yet the money spent on treating
these people adds to it.
In fact, there is a body of economic theory that takes account of the
environment. This is often called
Green Economics. There is also a branch
of economic theory that takes account of people's welfare or quality of life.
This is called welfare economics. But both of these are generally
ignored by business and the government when economic analyses are performed and
economic policies are pursued.
Like other branches of economics, Green Economics is a somewhat technical subject which we cannot deal fully with on this site. However, we plan to bring you more on this subject in the coming months. See links below for some you some stories and briefings on air transport which show how economics and its misuse can threaten our environment and quality of life.
£5 billion tax avoided by airlines
duty-free scandal
rigged economic study
myths about air travel
Although economics can destroy our environment, it can also be used to protect it. We finish this page with a most telling quote :
There are no technical solutions to our environmental problems - only social, economic and political solutions.
This page was last updated 3/3/00, but the stories
we link to may have been updated since.
|